Adrenaline
by Infectious Mike
Summary: It wasn't the competition of battle, the sound of metal on metal, or even the rush of adrenaline after the blur of a spear rocketed past his eyes. It was the person in front of him, always the person in front of him. Taishi Ci x Sun Ce


**Title**: Adrenaline  
**Author**: Infectious Mike  
**Genre**: Action/Adventure/Romance  
**Pairing**: Taishi Ci x Sun Ce  
**Word Count**: 2,822

**Summary**: It wasn't the competition of battle, the sound of metal on metal, or even the rush of adrenaline after the blur of a spear rocketed past his eyes. It was the person in front of him, always the person in front of him. Taishi Ci x Sun Ce

**Author's Note**: Based on Taishi Ci's Musou Mode in the PS2 version. Depending on reviews and criticism I might continue but as for now it's a one-shot. It's not going to be 100 percent accurate but then again, is Dynasty Warriors ever 100 percent accurate?

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Dynasty Warriors 6 or any of its character models, designs, personas.

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Taishi Ci sat perched on his ebony horse. He looked out to the horizon and took a sharp intake of fresh air. He looked back towards the place he had come from, Jiang Dong. Liu Yong had screwed him over leaving him on his own to deal with Sun Ce's whole army with little but a batch of ragtag soldiers. Thankfully he had been able to save most if not all of them. Turning to face forward he stared into the blue sky above him. The red clad warrior pulled the reins of his stead to halt him. Lifting one leg over the saddle he jumped off of him taking his twin rods in a single hand.

Walking to a nearby tree plentiful with fruit he set one of the rods against the tree and took the other in his right hand. Gripping it tightly he swung it as hard as he could at the base of the trunk. The tree shook violently dropping many of its sweet fruit. Taishi Ci harvested what fell and sat down in the shade the tree provided. He reminisced to his fight with Master Sun Ce; he played every move the Little Conqueror had used on him and the counter Taishi Ci provided against it. It was a close battle. Taishi Ci caught himself breathing heavily thinking of the encounter, it still shook him. Master Sun Ce was a real spear master.

Quickly Taishi Ci finished eating his harvest of fruit save for one, and gathered his weapons. He walked back over to his horse that had waited for him. Generously Taishi Ci held out the sweet fruit to the horse. The stead ate the fruit greedily and neighed in appreciation. Taishi Ci stuck his foot in the brace of the saddle and pulled himself up. He lay back taking his helm off, balancing his weapons and helm on his stomach. The ebony stallion began to walk at a leisurely pace per Taishi Ci's orders.

Slowly Taishi Ci drifted to sleep. His skirmish with Master Sun Ce came wandering back into his mind. He remembered the competition of the battle and the pressure on his shoulders. Taishi Ci could hear every clash of metal on metal that was made and even felt the adrenaline coursing through his body when Sun Ce's spear had rocketed past his face. He jumped out of his daydream, startled. He looked around at his surroundings, an open field. The sun was beginning to set and sky was darkening. Taishi Ci decided it would be best to continue searching for a new master tomorrow. The warrior became motionless for a moment. Taishi Ci heard...horseshoes, and they were approaching fast. He didn't panic, merely gripped his twin rods until his knuckles turned white. Turning to the noise he spotted a silver and red blur speeding towards him.

"Taishi Ci!" the person screamed. Even from a hundred yards away Taishi Ci knew who it was already. Happy to see Master Sun Ce, Taishi Ci let a smile play across his lips.

"Master Sun Ce!" he cried relinquishing the firm grip he had on the rods. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you!" Sun Ce hadn't slowed down yet and was now within a hundred feet of him. The Master of Wu leapt from his horse and at Taishi Ci.

"Master Sun Ce!" Taishi Ci yelped. The Little Conqueror smashed into Taishi Ci like a wall of bricks bringing him to the ground, his rods flying out of his hands and to the ground with a loud crash. His helmet slid of his head. Immediately Taishi Ci's face matched his armor and he struggled under Sun Ce's weight but couldn't free himself. He waited for Sun Ce to get off of him which he did in the next few moments. They both lay there for a few minutes panting.

"Taishi Ci, I want you at my side in Wu," Sun Ce finally said, breaking the silence. "You have more skill than I ever could in combat. I need you in my army. I'll make it worth your while."

"Master Sun Ce..." Taishi Ci let the sentence hang for a moment that's all it took for him to decide, "I'd be honored to serve in your army, my lord."

Sun Ce simply raised a closed fist and held it out towards his new vassal. "Welcome to Wu and the Sun Family, Taishi Ci." Taishi Ci smiled to himself and pushed his fist against Sun Ce's, "Now that that's settled how about a rematch?"

Taishi Ci grunted, "You want to get beat again Master Sun Ce?"

Sun Ce laughed and stood up. "As I recall, we're one and one. Best of three to settle!" He walked to the twin rods lying on the ground a few feet away from them. "Let's get started!" he threw them at a still prone Taishi Ci. Taishi Ci pressed himself up into a handstand before his body leaned backwards and his feet touched the ground again. He raised both his hands catching the twin rods. Sun Ce couldn't help but stare, "You'll have to teach me that one later."

Taishi Ci laughed, "Perhaps later Master Sun Ce."

Sun Ce grabbed his spear from the holster on the side of his horse and spun it in his hands. "Ready when you are Taishi Ci!" he held his spear out in front of him.

Taishi Ci wasted no time in charging the Little Conqueror. He rushed forward with his left hand catching Sun Ce's spear shaft then quickly swung down with his right. Ce stepped back and thrust forward at Taishi Ci's gut. Taishi Ci side-stepped and countered knocking Sun Ce off balance by smacking his spear and at the same time drove the rod in his left hand into the center of Ce's chest. Sun Ce took more than a few steps back and grabbed his chest. He struggled to breathe. Taishi Ci lowered his weapons and quickly began to rush to the side of his new lord. "I'm sorry milord," he was met with Sun Ce's spear just inches from his eyes.

"Don't stop Taishi Ci, I'm alright," he stabilized his breathing patterns and lowered his spear. He got back into his battle position as did his opponent. Not to be knocked back again Sun Ce went on the offensive. He stabbed rapidly at Taishi Ci. Taishi Ci managed to either dodge or block all of the thrusts Sun Ce was making. Ce however found an opening and knocked the rod in Taishi Ci's left hand away. Taken by surprise Taishi Ci froze and looked at the rod that lay on the ground several yards away. He would have to fight without it. The Little Conqueror continued his assault while Taishi Ci desperately blocked every attempt Ce made on a successful hit.

Taishi Ci's adrenaline was pumping, every movement of Sun Ce's was getting slower and his own reactions were getting faster. He had played defense long enough. Side-stepping another of Ce's attacks he grabbed the shaft of Ce's spear and yanked it towards him. Sun Ce flew forward only to be struck hard in the stomach with Taishi Ci's single rod. Sun Ce was driven back at least twenty feet. Not realizing how hard he had even hit Sun Ce he let a smug smile play across his lips. He hadn't seen the damage he'd done to his lord.

Taishi Ci looked up and saw Master Sun Ce on all fours on the ground a small puddle of blood on the ground under his mouth. He was clutching his stomach in one hand and covering his mouth with the other. "Master Sun Ce!" he cried before dropping his rod and Ce's spear. Rushing to his lord he cried out "Master Sun Ce!" Taishi Ci kneeled beside his lord. Sun Ce looked at Taishi Ci with a bloody smile on his face his breath hitched.

"The battle isn't over yet," Sun Ce breathed out barely conscious.

"Master Sun Ce, you're in no condition to continue," Taishi Ci wrapped Ce's arm around his shoulder and made him stand. Sun Ce dropped his spear and balanced himself putting his arm around Taishi Ci's waist. "I'm going to have to take off your armor," he said resting his lord on the grass under a tree. He pulled at the fasteners holding Sun Ce's armor and eventually peeled the tight metal off of him. He tossed it aside and pulled Sun Ce's cloth shirt up to his chest.

The bruise spread across his lower abdomen and was already swollen and black and blue. A few ribs were dislocated as well. "Master Sun Ce, this is going to hurt for a moment." Taishi Ci examined Sun Ce's body for a moment before finding the spot he was looking for. "Brace yourself Master Sun Ce," Taishi Ci applied pressure to a dislocated rib. A loud snap echoed through his ears making his jaw clinch in disgust. Sun Ce screamed loudly.

"Master Sun Ce, one more time," he applied pressure again, the loud snapping of bone could be heard over the agonizing screams coming from the Little Conqueror. "Its okay, Master Sun Ce, it's all over," Sun Ce's breathing slowly began to regulate again. Taishi Ci strapped off his own armor and took off his cloth shirt tearing it into a long strip. "Master Sun Ce can you stand?"

"I doubt it..." he struggled to say.

"I need you to stand for just a minute so I can get your bones to settle in the places again, can you try?"

"Taishi Ci...alright, I'll try." Taishi Ci took Sun Ce's hand and helped him stand. He leaned on Taishi Ci most of the way but Taishi Ci was able to support him easily. Sun Ce stumbled and fell forward only to be caught by his friend.

"That's the second time you've tackled me today," he let a playful smirk take over his face. He took the strip of his shirt and got on his knee. He started at his stomach and quickly wrapped the cloth around Sun Ce multiple times. Sun Ce groaned and grunted a few times in pain but no more screams came from his lips. He looked down at Taishi Ci and then around them. It was already dark, how long had they been fighting? It was beginning to get cold.

Taishi Ci had finished. He knotted the cloth getting a loud moan from Sun Ce. "Master Sun Ce?" Taishi Ci said standing up meeting his lord face to face. "I didn't mean to hurt you like this milord, please forgive me," he bent to his knee with his head down.

"That's enough of that Taishi Ci, people get hurt when they're fighting, and I just wasn't good enough."

"Master Sun Ce..." Taishi Ci was breathless; almost sure that Sun Ce was going to punish him for such an injury. Suddenly, Sun Ce fell forward again. Taishi Ci taken by surprise couldn't catch him and support the both of them. He did however end up on the bottom of their tumble taking most of the weight upon his own body. "That's three times today Master Sun Ce."

"I know...sorry Taishi Ci, I'm gonna...just rest for a moment," he dosed off to sleep not really caring that he had made Taishi Ci his personal bed.

Taishi Ci sighed and wrapped his arm around the Little Conqueror's waist and turned slowly, carefully placing Sun Ce on the soft grass. "Sorry Master Sun Ce..." he said as he stood. He approached his rod a few feet away and picked it up. Taishi Ci looked at the tree branch above him. Reaching up he picked a fruit off the tree and took a small bite into it. The sweet juices invaded his taste buds. Licking his lips clean he took his rod and smashed it against the trunk. Birds flew out of the tree chirping angrily and the sound of the rod against the tree echoed through the night. Sun Ce woke up with a start.

Looking over towards Taishi Ci he saw the man holding an armful of fruit. "You need to eat something Master Sun Ce," he said plopping himself down beside his lord. He dropped the fruit into his lap and held one out to Sun Ce. The Little Conqueror reached out and took it biting into it slowly, savoring the sweet taste. "These are really good," he said threw his chewing.

"Master Sun Ce...don't talk with your mouth full," he sighed towards his lord. He shivered and rubbed his hands on his bare muscular arms.

Sun Ce sat up taking another bite of his fruit. "You should put your armor back on, you're gonna get sick."

"I'll be fine; my armor chafes if I don't have anything under it." Taishi Ci removed the fruit from his lap and put them aside. He lay back on the grass. "Master Sun Ce don't worry about me, I've been in harsher conditions." He stood up and walked over to a tree and sat down pressing his back against the bark. "By the way Master Sun Ce, who knows that you're out here? Surely you didn't just up and leave."

"The only person who knows is Zhou Yu, and that wasn't by choice either. He caught me on my way out of camp," Sun Ce laughed. "I told him I was going out for a stroll."

Taishi Ci grunted, "Shouldn't you maybe have told him where you were going in case something like this happened?"

"I didn't think I'd find you, I had heard you left Jiang Dong after the battle and I wanted-needed you in my army. Taishi Ci, you've been on my mind since our duel, I couldn't get our fight out of my mind. I just had to meet you." Sun Ce sat up and turned to look at Taishi Ci. His teeth were chattering incessantly and he was rubbing his arms rapidly.

Sun Ce made a huge effort in order to stand up and make his way over to Taishi Ci. "Master Sun Ce! You shouldn't stand, you're going to-" Sun Ce fell again and Taishi Ci reacted swiftly to catch him. He fell back down into his leaning position on the tree with Master Sun Ce in his arms.

"Lemme go Taishi Ci," Sun Ce objected.

"No, you're going to try to stand again, you're not getting out of this so stop struggling," a smirk crawled across his face. "Just go to sleep Master Sun Ce."

Sun Ce continued to struggle until a sharp pain came from his ribs and he stopped. "Fine...you win Taishi Ci." He adjusted his body and leaned back into Taishi Ci. Sun Ce could easily feel the strong muscle packed into Taishi Ci's chest and stomach. He could feel his chest rise and fall with every breath. Sun Ce's plan had worked and now, he drifted to sleep.

Taishi Ci looked at his lord beneath him and loosened his grip when his breathing slowed indicating sleep. He looked up at the crescent moon in sky and back down at Sun Ce. He ruffled the man's hair and draped his arms around him pulling the Little Conqueror into him. Taishi Ci smiled knowing that the last thing he saw before drifting into sleep; was the big smile across Sun Ce's lips.


End file.
